Buckle guard



. leanedv July Y13,Y 1926.

GRACE H. CASE, F EXCELSIOR, ivirNNnsorA". i

i QF'FQCE f s BUCKLE GUARD.

Application led Marchf12, 1926. `Serial No. 94,231.

This invention relates to improvements in buckle4 guards, land has as a lgeneral vob-v ject to provide a guard for a hose supporter buckle orV clamp, arranged thereover,` `to prevent accidental loosening ofclamp or engagement thereof with the undergan ments.- The invention finds ,particularV ap 'pication in hose supporters which have a lever-like toothed clamp member engageable with Ya portion of the supporter material passing through a loop upon which the clamp member is swingingly mounted. Features of the invention include,.in combination with a hose supporter having clasp and clamp or buckle members; an elastic guard memberV which stretches with the supporter material; aguard of suliieient length and elasticity to allow adjustment Vincorrespondence to the length or shortening or" the supporter material between clasp and clamp; a guard one end of whichis detachably secured between theteeth of the clamp, and is held between the teeth of' the saine c when the member is in clampingposition; a guard which covers the front of' the clamp or buckle; a guard which prevents the clamping member from opening or becoming disengaged when the supporter is under normal or super tension; a guard which, be-

ing of elastic material, is reneweable; which isV detachably securedY at one yend by the clamp, and has its opposite end detachably secured by the clasp, when disposed in buckle or clampcoveringV position; and which is movable with the clamp during clamp adjustment.

Other objects and advantages will be further set forth in the description of the drawk in s and in said drawing;

*igurel is a face View of a hose supporter showing the guard covering the clamp or buckle.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section view through t-he supporter, showing the guard in protecting and clamp securing position, and i a Figure 3 is a face of the elastic strip. i

The device finds its most important application to elastic hose supporters, a conventional form of such supporter being shown. This supporter comprises a strip of elastic material 1, having its end pei manently secured as at 2 to a loop member gu a rd therewith'.

3, having a toothed lever-like clamp member 4Lk swingingly mounted thereon, said member i having` a row of teeth 5' engageable with a. portion of the supporter material passing through the loop, and saidV clampfmember having a thumb or finger engaging ext-ewr sion 6 by which the clamp is operated. The clamp actionV offthe member L is.` well known, and it is also well known that iif'hen the supporter is under tension, and fis suddenly subjected. vto additionalV tension, the clamp Vmember often rotates to non-clamping position thus allowing the supporter toi lengthen.` It is thereforeanfobjeet ofv this invention not only to provide means for preventing engagement of the clamp memclampfcarryingloop membervat oneend as at 2, and traverses the loop 3 as shown.

"TU ber with 'the undergarment, but to prevent The clasp-carrying member lcomprises the` metal loop 8 through which'the webbing' passes before traversing the loop 3. `This loop 8 carries the clasp which isswingingly engaged therewith-and comprises a flexible button carrying memberil() and slotted metallic buttonengaging member 12, this devieeibeing of the ordinary structure. The flexible button carrying member 10 is engaged around the loop 8l and uponV this memberis secured one member 15 of a snap fastener, with which the companion mem ber v16 of the guard strip 2O cooperates to fasten the guardy in operating position.

The guard member comprises a single piece of elastic kmaterial 2O of suflicient length to permit. lengthening and shortening adjustments and thus allow for such connection rto be made Awith the fastening -f device of the clasp-carrying member, as .f

Y will prevent buckling of the supportermaterial when adjustment is made. This guard strip has vone endinserted beneath the toothed fastening device as shown, thus disosinff it so that when theclam ainv' mem-y ber is :slid during adjustment the' guard membery will remain in position and slide The guard member is thus held at one end while the other is lapped over the buckle and securely but detachably con- @nected by a fastening device 16, with the fastening device 15 of the clasp-carrying member.

Inaslnucb as. the strip is elastic thesainek l vil) can be stretched with the supporter material when in use, and moreover Athe guard strip can be easily applied or attached and when worn can be replaced. No perinanent connection is made with any part of the supporter. Preferably the elastic guard is ot a slightly greater width than the `supporter material but in some instances may be slightly narrower, but wide enough lto overlap and completely cover the toothed member, and prevent accidental release of the same.

l claim as my invention:

l. A device of the class described comprising` an elastic hose supporter Aet the character set forth including a clamp and clasp, and a guard member secured by the clamp, overlying and engaging the same, and attached to the clasp.

Q. A device ot the class described comprising an elastic hose supporter of the character set forth yincluding a clamp and clasp, an elastic guard member secured .by

the clamp, overlying said clamp and removably attached vto the clasp.

3. A device of the class described comprising a hose supporter having a swinging clamp member `and aclaspcarrying member, an elastic cover strip held by the clamp, overlying the same, and detachably secured at the opposite end to the clasp-carrying member. y

A device of the class described including a hose supporter comprising a claspcarrying member and a lever-like clamp member, having teeth, a. strip of elastic material engaged by the teeth when the clamp is operative and extending in direction away from the teeth, said member extending in an opposite direction and overlying and engagingthe clamp member, and detachably secured at the opposite end to the clasp-carrying member.

ln witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of March 19%.

GRACE H. CASE. 

